After we finished with everything, Aaliyah starts to smooth her hair down, attempting to hide her neck.

I swiftly seize her hands, a hint of danger in my voice as I demand, "Leave it." It's important that everyone knows she is taken and will remain mine.

She withdraws her hand from my grip, and I can sense where this is headed, so I decide to act. I press my lips against hers. I need to taste her once more before things potentially take a turn.

At first, she doesn't respond to the kiss, just standing there, but I'm determined. I deepen the kiss, silently begging her to respond.

Gradually, she lets her guard down and begins to kiss me back, causing a smile to tug at my lips.

Our tongues entwine, dancing together for a few electrifying seconds before she finally breaks the kiss.

"We didn't use a condom," she says, pushing me away slightly, a shiver running down her spine. She lets her hair cascade over her face, veiling her reaction from me. "I need to message Selena to buy me a plan B pill for tomorrow morning."

She attempts to step away, but I quickly reach out, encircling her waist, and draw her back in. "No," she starts, her palm pressed against my lips, "I need to get out of here."

My eyebrows knit together as I release my hold on her waist, and she doesn't waste a moment, swiftly making her way out.

I reach for my phone and order a new chair, specifying that it needs to be delivered today. Having money has its perks - a simple word, and everything falls into place.

After a few hours of some paperwork, I close my laptop, place it in its case, and exit the office. As I approach the elevator, the doors are about to close, but I quickly wedge my foot in between them, causing them to reopen.

I step into the elevator and find Aaliyah with her eyes closed, leaning against the wall and softly humming to a beat. It seems like she's either pretending I'm not here or genuinely doesn't notice me.

An idea forms in my mind. I quietly press the emergency button and message Alena not to unlock the elevator until I say so.

I set a timer and watch, curious to see how long it takes for her to realize that we're stuck.

Ten minutes, twenty seconds, and fifty milliseconds pass before she double-taps her AirPods in her ears and answers a call. "Hello."

"Mhm," she nods at whatever the person on the other end is saying, "I'm coming there." She waits a few more seconds, "Yes, I will wear something sexy."

My body tenses up, my knuckles white from clenching my fists. What the hell did she just say?

"Mhm, bye," she ends the call. When her eyes open, she lets out a scream that echoes through the elevator. If I weren't so furious, I might have laughed at how ridiculous she looks.

She places a hand over her heart, breathing heavily. "You scared me."

Not giving much thought to her reaction, I ask calmly, "Who were you talking to?"

An eyebrow lifts instantly, "I'm going to have sex with a guy," she states with a smile, showing her perfect teeth.

Everything comes to a halt, and my heart sinks. Maybe she's bluffing. Seconds pass in silence, and we continue to lock eyes.

Her refusal to speak forces my body to tremble, and I'm desperate for air. The elevator suddenly feels stifling. She's so unbelievable, and I had hoped for a different response from her. Anything, as long as it had nothing to do with another man, but my hopes were in vain.

I pull out my phone and send a message to Alena, urgently requesting her to get someone to open the door.

Aaliyah starts to laugh, approaching me. "Aw, is Mr. Godzilla sulking?" she taunts.

I ignore her, my only focus on escaping this elevator. I turn away from her, unwilling to face her. She moves and stands in front of me, so I turn in the opposite direction, avoiding eye contact.

"It's no fun when you're not playing along," she murmurs, her tone tinged with disappointment.

Does she really find my anger enjoyable?

"Aaliyah, we just fucked, not even two hours ago. And you tell me you are going to let another man put his dick in you?" I shake my head in disbelief as she looks at me, the smile disappearing from her face.

"So, Mr. No-emotions is hurt?" she teases.

I simply look at her, and she meets my gaze, fully aware that I'm indeed affected.

"I'm sorry," she finally says.

"Oh, so Mrs. Knows-it-all is apologizing?" I retort, my frustration showing.

She nods, avoiding my eyes even though I'm irritated.

"I'm coming with you to the hotel so you can pick up all your stuff. It's time to come home," I declare, looking back at her, my eyes unyielding.

She lets out a hollow laugh without saying anything more.

Ignoring her, I send a message to Alena, asking her to slash Aaliyah's tires. It's the only way I can get her to come with me to retrieve her belongings. Within seconds, Alena responds with 'You got it' and a wink emoji.

About twenty minutes later, the elevator doors open, and Aaliyah confidently strides out. "I'll be waiting," I call out to her. Instead of following her immediately, I walk to my car and wait. I know it won't be long before she returns.

I was right; not even five minutes later, she returns and slams the car door shut. She hands me her cracked phone with an address on Google Maps. Without saying a word, she shuts me out, resting her head against the window. She uses her hair as a shield to conceal her face.

I deserve her cold shoulder.

My thump traces the cracks on the screen and I realise how much I let my anger control me. I need to start learning how to recollect myself and reduce the consequences that I let it have on me.

Pressing start, I reverse out of the parking and follow the directions.

______

Thoughts?